Today Mon 22 July 2013 is Guru Purnima

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Today  Mon 22 July 2013 is GURU POORNIMA



Guru Purnima is celebrated on the first full moon day of Shravan month. According to the Hindu calendar, the Monsoons or the rainy season officially starts with the commencement of Shravan. This happens somewhere in the middle of July. The first full moon day or Purnima of Shravan is a festive occasion for both Hindus and Buddhists.

Significance Of Guru Purnima: Hinduism

In Hinduism, Guru Purnima is celebrated as the day when the great sage Vyasa was born. Vyasa was the author of the Hindu epic Mahabharata and also the Brahma Sutras. He is famous for being one of the most learned men to walk the earth. Therefore, his birthday is one of the holiest days in the Hindu calendar.

Significance Of Guru Purnima: Teacher-Student Relationship

Guru Purnima has more to it than just spiritual significance and historical importance. It is an integral part of the Indian system of education or Gurukul system. It is a day on which, all the students are supposed to honour their teachers with a token of their respect and regard. This system is still followed by many spiritual groups who follow a guru, and also in the classical musical gharanas of India.

Significance Of Guru Purnima: Buddhism

Guru Purnima is one of the biggest festivals in Buddhism. This is the day on which, Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon as the influential spiritual leader at Sarnath. This was the day were the first Buddhist spiritual teachings were administered by Buddha after his enlightenment. Thus, Guru Purnima is a celebration that installs, Gautama Buddha as the teacher who started a new spiritual sect.

On this day, Buddhists pay their homage to Lord Buddha by visiting His Shrines.

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[Hari]

Happy Guru Purnima to everyone!

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Saw this article on importance of Guru Purnima from a website and sharing the same here .This talks about the traditional way it is celebrated .

Importance and Significance of Guru Purnima

    “Gurubrahma Guruvishnu Gururdevo Maheshwaraha |
    Guru sakshaat Parambrahman tasmai Shrigurave namaha ||”

    This is the famous verse known by-heart by all Hindu children that venerate the Guru. It means "The guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva), veneration to the Guru who is Parabrahman manifest." According to Hinduism, Guru is the embodiment of the philosophy of life and seeking refuge in Him is the easiest and assured way to get salvation in life.

    Guru Purnima: Indian way of celebrating Teachers Day
    Indian scriptures celebrate Teachers’ day in the form of Guru Purnima. As per the Hindu Calendar, Guru Purnima or Vyasa Purnima is celebrated in remembrance and veneration to sage Veda Vyasa. It is the birthday of Saint Vyasa, who classified the Vedas, wrote the eighteen Puranas and the Mahabharata.

    Significance of Guru Purnima
    The full moon day in the month of Ashadha is called Guru Purnima. It is one of the first among the slew of festivals during the chathurmasya period. Chathurmasya vratha is observed by all sanyasins from this day. The sanyasins stay in a place, do Vedanta vichara and sit for discourses on the messages codified in Brahma Sutras. During Chathurmasya period, all sanyasins offer puja to Parama Gurus, Parameshti Gurus, Parapara Gurus and all Brahma Vidhyacharyas. It is a sort of thanksgiving for all the knowledge they have incorporated through the teaching and preachings of their acharyas that the sanyasins observe Guru Purnima as a great day of veneration and respect for their elders. They see the real God in their Gurus and deem it a great opportunity to express their gratitude and reverence for their gurus by offering prayers to them.

    Guru Purnima is known as Vyasa Purnima
    Guru Purnima is a day sacred to the memory of our ancient Guru Veda Vyasa, who codified all the four Vedas and wrote eighteen Puranas, Mahabharata and Bhagavatha. We reckon Vedas as the fountainhead of all Hindu knowledge and wisdom even today and thus it is a great day for our sanyasins to start their Chathurmasyam with the puja of Vyasa. His preachings lead us towards seeking Brahman and Brahma Vidya. It is the ultimate goal of life and learning Vedas is the real source of regeneration of life for all those, who roam in this dark worldly life without knowing the way out. It is not only for the sanyasins, but for all aspirants of spiritual knowledge to seek the blessings of our holy sage Vyasa on the day by doing honor to him.

    Guru Purnima for all
    Celebrate Guru Purnima to Liberate Yourselves From Worldly Bondage! Everyone is a guru at one stage or the other in life. Everybody has a guru in life at some juncture. The mother is the greatest teacher, it is said. Father is a good preacher-his words are the ultimate truth, as reckoned by our elders. So, those who do not have a formal guru can very well adore their parents on Guru Purnima or do respects to some sadhu or sanyasin. Doing acts of charity for a grahasta on this day will fetch tons of benefits for him and his family.

    Brahma vidya is a rarity and does not come to everyone. It comes by the good things done in the past and through the preachings of a proper guru. But doing good things and achieving acts of kindness and charity are within the reach of any common man, which will fetch some kind of spiritual enhancement for him. Let us try that on Guru Purnima and get rid of our sins.

    Remember and adore Sri Vyasa and the Brahma-Vidya Gurus. May their blessings be upon you all! May you all cut asunder the knot of Avidya and shine as blessed Jivanmuktas, shedding peace, joy and light everywhere! Let us make Guru Purnima holy with our acts of charity and kindness.